The theoretical literature regarding adaptive behavior in selling has grown rapidly, but a void has developed in the empirical testing of the psychological and experiential antecedents of adaptive behavior. It is the purpose of this paper to begin to fill this void by examining the effects of relational, self-consciousness, and experiential variables on a salespersons predisposition to adapt behavior. The source of data for this study was the institutional food distribution/wholesaling industry. Survey data were collected and a scenario approach was utilized. The results indicate that relational, self-consciousness, and experiential variables can be used to profile salespeople that are predisposed to adapt behavior across different types of buy classes. The findings also suggest that a salesperson’s predisposition may act as an antecedent to salesperson’s actual behavior.
Bodkin et al. (Mon,) studied this question.